Australia.com does not support the internet browser you are using. Please upgrade to a more recent browser so that you can explore the destinations and experiences that await you as you plan your Australian holiday.

Welcome to the official Australian tourism website.This site uses cookies.Find out more.

7 of the best day trips on the Great Barrier Reef

A visit to the Great Barrier Reef can be an emotional and unforgettable experience. Whether you fly over it, cruise on top of it or dive or snorkel one of its many famed sites, the size and beauty of this natural wonder will stay with you forever.

By Malcolm Chenu

Described by Sir David Attenborough as the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, the Great Barrier Reef is a marine miracle. The 2300 kilometre (1430 mile) living coral masterpiece runs down the north-east coast of Australia and is teeming with diverse marine life, including reef sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and countless colourful fish. There are many ways to experience this natural wonder, and tours depart from towns and cities all along the Great Barrier Reef coastline. Here are seven of our favourite day trips.

See two icons at once: Heart Reef & Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Whitehaven Beach is a seven kilometre (4.3 mile) stretch of pure white silica sand, with Hill Inlet at one end. Tourists come from all over the world to marvel at its beauty. It's in the same area as the Great Barrier Reef's Heart Reef, a beautiful coral arrangement in the shape of a heart. You'll see them both on this half-day adventure in the Whitsunday Islands. You'll take off in a seaplane from Airlie Beach, soaring over the Whitsunday Islands and circling over Heart Reef for photos before landing on the water at a nearby coral lagoon. Here you will jump from the plane into the water and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef before taking off again and flying to picturesque Whitehaven Beach for a champagne lunch. After lunch you'll be returned to your accommodation.

Dive the Yongala Shipwreck

Yongala shipwreck, Townsville, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Regarded as one the best dive sites in the world, the wreck of the SS Yongala sits on the sandy ocean floor 28 metres (92 feet) below the surface. It's in an area of the Great Barrier Reef just off the coast of Townsville, a tropical city located a four hour drive, or a one hour flight, south from the city of Cairns. The 110 metre (360 foot) ship sank in 1911 and is now home to turtles, sea snakes, giant trevally, groupers, manta rays, sharks and thousands of tropical fish. You can take a day tour from Townsville, or from Magnetic Island, a popular local holiday destination just off the Townsville coast. The two-dive tour is best suited to SSI- and PADI-qualified divers and all equipment is provided.

Snorkel the stunning Low Isles

Low Isles, near Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

This is one of the most sheltered snorkelling destinations on the Great Barrier Reef. Boat tours depart for the Low Isles daily from Port Douglas (a lovely beach town around one hour's drive north of Cairns) with several tour operators, including Aquarius, Sailaway Port Douglas and Wavedancer. You’ll receive a full safety briefing and all the equipment you need (including floatation devices) on the 75 minute journey to the islands. The snorkelling area is very safe and much of it is in shallow water. Look for sea turtles on or near seagrass. Lunch is provided and you can even hire an underwater camera.

Turtles laying and hatching at Mon Repos Beach

Mon Repos Beach, Bundaberg, Southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

From November to January nesting sea turtles, including endangered loggerhead turtles, come ashore at night to lay their eggs at Mon Repos beach, in the city of Bundaberg (about four hours' drive or a one hour flight north of Brisbane). Then, between January and March the hatchlings leave their nests and race down to the sea. Both spectacles can be witnessed in intimate nighttime tours on the beach. Tours are accompanied by an environmental scientist who offers insights into the fascinating life cycle of these gentle creatures.

Lady Elliot Island

Just off the coast of Bundaberg you'll find Lady Elliot Island, a 42 hectare (103 acre) coral cay that sits on the southern stretches of the Great Barrier Reef. This is the closest Great Barrier Reef island to Brisbane and can be reached via an 80 minute flight aboard Seair Pacific. Flights also depart from the Gold Coast, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Once you've arrived on the island, which is renowned for its high-visibility water, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy. You can snorkel right off its beach with huge manta rays that can have a "wing span" of up to seven metres (23 feet) or enrol in a diving course at the PADI Dive Shop. Stay overnight in the 41-room Eco Resort, tariffs include buffet dinner and breakfast in the beachfront dining room.

Swim with whales

Marine Encounters, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Dwarf minke whales visit the Great Barrier Reef every year, and you can swim with them in June and July on tours that operate from Port Douglas and Cairns. When the whales are spotted, you'll jump into the water, hold onto a surface rope and simply wait for them to approach. These friendly, curious creatures almost always do. Day trip operators include Marine Encounters, Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Silversonic and Poseidon Cruises.

Vlasoff Cay by helicopter

Vlasoff Cay, near Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Have a deserted island on the Great Barrier Reef all to yourself when you take a day tour to Vlassoff Cay. Taking off from Cairns, your helicopter pilot will fly over the Great Barrier Reef before landing at the sandy islet with snorkels, flippers and a gourmet picnic for you to enjoy. The serene setting is yours for the next 90 minutes to wander, beachcomb or dive in the warm water for a swim or a snorkel, before the return flight back over the reef to Cairns.

More articles like this

Explore the Southern Great Barrier Reef and see a different side of this majestic natural wonder. The region is home to tropical islands, a famous surf beach, manta rays, baby turtles and colourful corals – as well as some of Australia's friendliest people.

Great Keppel Island, near the town of Yeppoon in central Queensland, has 17 pristine beaches to explore. You can also spot wildlife while hiking its rugged hinterland. Day trips to Great Keppel include aquatic adventures such as boom-netting.

*Product Disclaimer: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator’s website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). Tourism Australia makes no representations whatsoever about any other websites which you may access through this website. Some websites which are linked to the Tourism Australia website are independent from Tourism Australia and are not under the control of Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia does not endorse or accept any responsibility for the use of websites which are owned or operated by third parties and makes no representation or warranty in relation to the standard, class or fitness for purpose of any services, nor does it endorse or in any respect warrant any products or services by virtue of any information, material or content linked from or to this site.

{"PageInfo":{"component":"PageInfo"},"Hero":{"component":"Hero","subTitle":"","title":"7 of the best day trips on the Great Barrier Reef","playerId":""},"ImageMapWithCityLink":{"component":"ImageMapWithCityLink"}}